“The monthly smartphone infection rate in the second half of 2016 jumped 83% from the first six months, with overall infections in mobile networks reaching an all-time high in October, according to new data from Nokia,” Phil Muncaster reports for InfoSecurity.

“The infection rate in mobile networks – which includes Windows/PC systems connected by dongle and mobile IoT devices – rose ‘steadily’ during the year to hit a new high of 1.35% in October,” Muncaster reports. “The vast majority of infections (85%) discovered in mobile networks belonged to smartphones, with Android (81%) the main culprit, followed by Windows/PCs (15%) and 4% linked to iPhones and other mobile devices.”

MacDailyNews Take: Android. Open. As in: Wide.

“The news comes as Apple issued its iOS 10.3 release, designed to fix a Safari-based scareware issue and more importantly roll out a whole new file system which will make encryption an even bigger part of devices,” Muncaster reports. “Reports suggest it could help users save some disk space and speed up performance, but perhaps most controversially will support strong full disk encryption natively… This is sure to raise the heckles of law enforcers and politicians on both sides of the Atlantic but will please businesses and Apple users no end.”

This is rediculois we have to feel bad while trying to protect and defend ourselves. This is not even anti-government, but simply anti crime. We have to go to great lengths for security and we are told, “Oh no, you might be a terrorist.” !!!!

“Android (81%) the main culprit, followed by Windows/PCs (15%) and 4% linked to iPhones and other mobile devices.”

I just love this. They can not claim security through obscurity now. Windows phones have almost nothing in percentage of the mobile market, however they make up 15% of the infections. Yes I know that is also through a dongle to a PC not just phone; however it shows how crackers are willing to put more effort because they can get results easier than with iOS. Android does have a larger share of phones, however not that large over Apple mobile devices. Also the targets (as in people/enterprise with money) are better with iOS. So it’s not that Apple is being ignored because they are small, it’s because it’s to hard for your average internet thief. There was also the language excuse in the Win vs Mac days. Most people did not know C based languages so the did not write for Mac. The code knowledge for Android and iOS are very close. I like how Apple and other are at 4%. The other would basically have to be Blackberry. That would put Apple at less than 4%, but you know we must make Apple look as bad as possible. It also shows that closed systems like iOS and BB are safer. To business people that is/should be one of the top priorities.

You are going to need all the privacy tools you can afford, because the TeleCom/Cable lobby has the GOP in it’s hands and is moving quickly.

As we read this, Congress is gutting the FCC rules that prohibit your ISP from tracking and selling your every move. As the point of entry to the internet they have access to everything and most end users are happy to use the ISPs DNS which tell them even more.
Comcast, AT&T and others want to track you and sell your web browsing history for profit. Currently the only thing stopping them is an FCC rule. S.J.Res 34, which strips the rule and the FCC from imposing such rules in the future, passed the Senate Friday in a Party Line vote- every Republican present voted for it. Now the companion bill HJRes 86 will be up for a vote shortly. If it passes the Republican controlled Senate the only thing it will lack is Trump’s signature.

If this thing passes any ISP will be free to sell your personally identifiable browsing history to the highest bidder for profit. I guess that is Making America Great Again if you are AT&T.

It’s not just the telecoms. After the Westminster Bridge incident, the UK press is full of calls from the Government to prohibit encryption in apps like WhatsApp and Apple Messages unless the company provides back door access to the security services and police.

As MDN never fails to point out, there is no way to provide easy access to the good guys without also providing it to the bad guys. No technologically feasible means of access can assist only a police officer with a judicial warrant but never an illegal hacker.